New Year Resolutions // 2016

As 2016 comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the past year yet again. I've never been the type to come up with New Year Resolutions because mostly, I have a hard time following it. Some goals change halfway through the year and I find myself in August not finding it necessary anymore to "stop eating at midnight" or to "eat an apple instead of biscuits for tea". This year however, I think it's high time that I start making more others-centred goals. Year after year, it's always been about just one person: me but that seems a little (read: a lot) backward especially in our world today where we find ourselves having to interact with more and more people. So I have decided to come up with 3 pretty attainable goals that I will try to attain to become a better person in 2017.

I hope you will join me, xx.

1.   Be kind

Being kind, truly kind, is exceptionally difficult. Most of us view kindness as a one-off transaction but living in kindness is where you truly hit the jackpot. I don't mean a life as a cloistered nun, we're only human after all and being kind all the time when we know we're all not 100% kind is no mean feat. 

But here are some ways you and I may do so:

• Don't gossip or try not to gossip as much
• Treat others like how you'd like to be treated
• Respect others opinions, thoughts and behaviours
• Know that your own way is not universally the only way to go about doing things

2.   Live everyday like your last

It seems like an obvious mantra to have and an easy one to carry out but we all know how easy it is to forget how easily we might die. Old folks are always telling us that we have a long way to go with confidence but in truth, we may never know if today or 50 years later might be our last. 

I'm honestly in the dark as well about how to live out this goal but here are some of my ideas:

• Don't hold back on on that food craving you've had since morning. If you've been craving bread pudding, honey, go get it!
• Don't wait till night to let someone you've had an argument with to know you're sorry. Let them know now, we've all got a phone after all.
• If you see someone being treated unfairly or poorly, let them know they're not alone.

3.   Don't be afraid to try something new

"A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there." - Unknown

This third goal might be super cliche but it couldn't be truer. Staying in what you know, never venturing out more than a few zones painfully limits you to what otherwise could be growth, deeper happiness and a step closer to truly living. Don't limit yourself to what you already know just because you're afraid that you might not like what you try. Rather, embrace it and come out of it glad with the knowledge that you now know more than you did before.

Some ideas on how to identify that you are staying in the zone:

• Suggesting somewhere tried and tested each time a new restaurant/cafe is suggested to you 
• Hesitating for more than a few hours when faced with a change in direction be it in your friendships, workplace, school life or work you are working on now
• When you say more noes than yeses

Thank you everyone for joining me in 2016, sending warmth to you and Happy New Year!